All Is Fair
by jakers75
Summary: Shortly before the departure of the Prometheus, a restless Vickers is confronted by David and forced to ponder questions about herself that she may or may not know the answer to. Rated T for very mild language.


_**I thought that one of the most intriguing characters of Prometheus was Meredith Vickers. Like many other people on the ship, she was more than she appeared, and when the movie was over, I knew I wasn't going to find out much more! So I decided to write a fic about it, haha.**_

_**Reviews are always welcome, and I hope you enjoy reading it!**_

**:: ::**

Meredith Vickers looked out the window and resisted the urge to sigh. She had grown up among the tall, sleek skyscrapers and was no longer impressed by the sight, but it had still been home for most of her life. It was odd knowing that in less than a day, she would be leaving it to board the scientific vessel _Prometheus_ on a fool's errand led by a pair of amateur archaeologists and orchestrated by her decrepit father.

With a quick swipe, she closed the blinds and stood. As she saw it, there were now a couple of options – she could either try to enjoy her remaining time on Earth or she could prepare for the imminent voyage.

Never having been a fan of idleness, Vickers stood, grabbed her coat, and headed for the door. She had to make sure everything was perfect.

**:: ::**

Vickers paused, taking a moment admire the scale of the ship. The _Prometheus_ truly was a marvel of engineering, and it certainly looked like one.

_It had better be, though, considering the amount of money Weyland invested in it._ It wasn't the outside of the ship she was concerned with, though, and she entered and made a beeline for the navigation center. The computers had probably been checked dozens of times in the last couple of days alone, but she began to run the tests anyway. The ship depended on either the autopilot system or the lone passenger who would be awake the entire voyage.

_In that case, the autopilot better be absolutely perfect._

She had just finished one test and was starting another when she heard footsteps behind her. Turning around, it took her a moment to make out the familiar slender figure.

_ Speak of the devil and he shall appear._

"We depart very early tomorrow, Ms. Vickers," David 8 said with an amiable smile, "I suggest that you rest while you can."

"Resting is all we'll be doing once we board that ship." Vickers eyed him suspiciously. "I see no need to prolong that portion of the voyage any longer than necessary."

David was silent for a moment, his eyes searching her face before looking to the interface behind her. "If you have any concerns about the ship, please don't. All the systems work perfectly; we will be more than ready when it's time to launch."

"If you want things done right, best to do them yourself. I won't let my mission fail because I failed to do my duty."

The android's smile never once faltered, but Vickers thought she could hear a slight note of disapproval as he spoke, "Both I and the engineering crew have ensured that all systems are up-to-date."

"Like I said, I'm performing my duties, as you will be soon enough," she said, turning back to the computer. She knew that David knew it was a dismissal, so when she didn't hear any footsteps denoting his departure, Vickers turned around with a raised eyebrow.

He was no longer grinning – David was now studying her wordlessly. She looked him straight in the eye for a moment before he spoke again.

"Why did you choose to come on this voyage?"

"Excuse me?"

"Pardon me if I cause any offense, but I can tell you don't believe in Mr. Weyland's vision. If you think that the entire expedition is doomed to failure, why not simply wait here to take control of the company?"

Vickers paused, trying not to betray her answer. David knew many things – he could speak hundreds of languages, solve any mathematics problem, and remember an almost infinite amount of information, but he lacked any complex or realistic understanding of the human soul. To understand her motivation, he would have to understand her emotions, and that was the one thing he could not possibly do without her help.

And the truth was, whenever she thought about that question herself, she couldn't understand her own feelings. She couldn't tell herself why she felt the need to come, but Vickers had known from the beginning that she was going to.

Not that she was going to confess any of that to him, of course.

"It is my duty as a Weyland Corporation representative to ensure that this high-priority mission is completed as smoothly as possible." As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew that David would see through her lie.

"Any number of high-ranking officials could have gone in your place. You don't believe your father or harbor any affection for him, but you fought to accompany him anyway. Why?"

She bristled slightly, although she tried not to let it show. David was an expert at reading body language and would quickly pick up on any emotion that she displayed.

"I believe that you're overstepping your boundaries, both in your question and in your assumption."

"Is it overstepping to state what is obvious to anyone who has ever seen the two of you together?" His words were soft, but there was no denying the truth in them.

"Listen, I don't know what you're trying to achieve by psychoanalyzing me, but you need to back off." Her own tone was harsh, but otherwise, it was no use trying to intimidate David – that was comparable to moving a mountain, something that even the Weyland Corporation engineers had failed to formulate a solution to.

"I'm not analyzing anyone. I just want to know."

Vickers paused. Was that hesitation she had heard?

"That isn't anything you need to concern yourself with," she said, speaking in her most official tone now, "I am here, and regardless of my motivations, I will do whatever it takes to see this mission through."

"Very well, Ms. Vickers."

She eyed him cautiously, unsure of whether or not he was truly giving the subject up or if he was formulating another method.

"Is that all?"

"Not quite."

Vickers shut her eyes in irritation – for a state of the art android with twice the intellectual capacity of a human, David was being quite obtuse. Did he really think she was going to tell him anything? The only response she gave him was a pointed stare.

"Why did you change your name?"

She blinked. Even after his last question, this one caught her by surprise.

"I, uh," she hesitated in a rare moment of confusion before catching herself, "If you weren't prying before, you certainly are now."

"It's only a name."

_If it was __**only**__ a name, it wouldn't be such a big deal to you.___Still, the irony of David asking the question was not lost on her. In fact, she had decided to make the change from Meredith Weyland to Meredith Vickers shortly after David 8 had been completed. For years she had deliberated the switch, but it wasn't until she saw how her father fawned over the android that she took action. The moment remained as a crystal clear image in her mind – Weyland standing over the kneeling David with a smile on his face and tears in his eyes. Not once had he looked at her like that.

Even from a young age, she had known that nothing she did would ever be good enough in Weyland's eyes. It was only when she truly accepted that was she able to excel, but even if Weyland didn't care about blood, everyone else did. Some people hated her for her family and some people loved her for it. Her achievements were always tainted with the knowledge that her family had in some way affected the outcome. So when she had seen that her father had no further use for her, Vickers finally decided she had no use for _him._

Even after the name change, it wasn't a secret that she was his daughter. But it no longer seemed to affect her. Her detractors took it as a sign she was succeeding on her own merits and her supporters mostly abandoned her because they saw it as a betrayal. For the first time ever, her work was truly her own.

So yes, one could say she had "daddy issues," which is what Vickers suspected David wanted to hear. Like hell she was going to tell _him _that, though.

"It was a personal decision designed to further my professional life. Nothing more." Clasping her hands behind her back, she stood straight and looked the android in the eye. "Does that satisfy your curiosity?"

Although the exchange took place within mere seconds, the exchange of power was almost palpable. No matter what Weyland intended to do in the future, right now it was her mission, her ship. She was in control here, and judging by the way David stepped back, he knew it as well.

"That will be all, Ms. Vickers. Please let me know if you require any assistance." He bowed his head slightly and walked out. It was only when he was completely gone that she allowed herself a smile. No matter how smart, strong, or capable David was, he was reliant on others. She didn't need anyone to take control, and that was the difference between them.

Satisfied with herself, Vickers turned back to the computer. The test was completed and the green light indicated everything was working fine. There were others to examine, though, and she moved to the next work station quickly. She would be damned before she let any potential problem slip through the cracks – she hadn't been lying to David about that.

Still, she couldn't help a smile as she sat down. She was in control here, and would be when the crew awoke from hyperspace, landed, and discovered there wasn't anything to be found after all. She would make sure that each and every one of them knew it too.

_Even dear old Daddy…_


End file.
